Celebrating 20 years of renewable energy leadership
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, ADSW 2026 is hosted by Masdar, the UAE’s clean energy powerhouse.The launch ceremony marked a significant milestone for Masdar as its renewable energy portfolio reached 65 gigawatts (GW), up from 51GW in 2025 - marking two decades since the UAE made the strategic decision to invest early in clean energy. Of the 65GW portfolio, 45GW is operational, under construction, or committed, with a further 20GW of advanced pipeline, placing Masdar two-thirds of the way to its 100GW by 2030 target.
“Over 70% of the world’s energy will still come from hydrocarbons. While some view it as a constraint, it can be seen as a catalyst - because sustainable progress is not about slowing growth, but about designing a better engine.” shared Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar, during the Opening Ceremony.
Through long-term partnerships, innovation, and US$45bn in investment, Masdar has contributed to reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and overcoming structural challenges such as intermittency, helping make renewables the cheapest and fastest way to deploy new electricity capacity globally.
“We stand at a critical moment: we need to align the systems we rely on today with those we urgently need tomorrow. ADSW 2026’s theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go,” reflects the opportunity we have to lead global systemic change and shape our collective future,” said Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar.
Honoring global changemakers with the Zayed Sustainability Prize
The Zayed Sustainability Prize, the UAE’s pioneering global award for impactful sustainability solutions, today announced the 2026 winners, marking 18 years of driving inclusive, sustainable progress worldwide.Winners were honored across the categories of Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action, each receiving USD1 million each to scale their solutions.
Daniel Magallón, Managing Director of BASE Foundation and winner of the Energy category for innovative approaches to sustainable cooling, said: “This honour strengthens our resolve to scale the cooling-as-a-service model globally, empowering communities with cleaner energy, supporting local economies, and making sustainable, low-carbon solutions accessible to all.”
The Prize also continues to empower youth through the Global High Schools category, which supports student-led projects. Six high schools representing world regions receive up to US USD150,000 each to implement innovative projects that deliver tangible local impact.
Among this year’s recipients is Kyanja High School in Uganda, recognized for developing a circular farming system integrating duck shelters and fishponds to produce fish and eggs through a zero-waste nutrient cycle that enhances food security.
“We come from an area where food is a challenge and our project aims to help solve that. We are excited to bring our idea to life, create impact in our community and inspire others. We also look forward to expanding our network and opportunities through our presence at ASDW” said Joseph Nsubuga, one of the student representatives receiving the award.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, President of the UAE, presented the awards to all winners in recognition for their outstanding contributions to advancing sustainable development worldwide.
Link to the opening speech extract: https://vimeopro.com/afpservices/masdar-abu-dhabi-sustainability-week-2026
Link to Day 1 coverage broll: https://vimeopro.com/afpservices/masdar-abu-dhabi-sustainability-week-2026/video/1153985098
